Shot In The Dark: Gatekeeper Alert

January 13, 2006

Gatekeeper Alert

It's a good thing newspapers have "gatekeepers"; it keeps them from making stupid screwups:

It was only online for 90 minutes, and never in print, but it was wrong enough to cause an hour-long delay Thursday morning in the trial of a man accused of killing a police officer. "It" was a serious error in a story on the Web site of the Minneaspolis Star Tribune, which went up about 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday and came down at 5 p.m.

Defense attorneys moved for a mistrial, which the judge denied.

The report, for which the paper issued a correction today, incorrectly stated that Ramsey County District Judge Kathleen Gearin went to the dead police officer's widow, before jurors entered the courtroom, briefly talked to her and patted her on the shoulder.

Actually, it was the prosecutor, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner, who did that.

Snarks about our high priests of information and their errors aside, mistakes - whatever legal issue they may cause - bother me less than the times that the media's "gatekeepers" are the cause, rather than the unwitting dupes, of such errors (Vide Mary Mapes).

Posted by Mitch at January 13, 2006 05:32 AM | TrackBack

Comments

My sister is Judge Gearin's clerk and I have met her many times. When I first read the report I didn't believe it was true as it is not in Gearin's character to do anything that might interfere with the trial. Turns out I was right. The media has printed retractions, but have they publicly apologized to Jdg. Gearin? They ought to.

Posted by: DavidD at January 13, 2006 08:41 AM

If it's noted in Editor & Publisher, I guess the Strib will step up to the correction plate:

"Gearin asked the Star Tribune to publish retractions of the erroneous StarTribune.com report both online and in the newspaper. A correction was posted online Thursday morning, and appears on Page A2 of today's issue."

http://www.startribune.com/462/story/180756.html

Posted by: Nancy at January 13, 2006 01:22 PM

Mitch, your strawman is so ridiculous..

When did any paper suggest they'd never make a mistake, what process ever has been able to "prevent X" from making mistakes (meaning any and all). The concept is that, just like things like Six-Sigma reviews, this will help reduce them.

Is it really something you gain vindication/gratification from, specifically creating foolish arguments that no one advanced just to tear them down? And I guess I'm a little curious what this story has to do with Mary Mapes? The gatekeeper apparently failed, wow, go file a news story on that one..well, I guess you did, huh. BTW Mitch, occassionally dogs bite people. Your pissing and whining each and everytime Strib screws up of ommission, does not (via recognition they make mistakes) indemnify you/excuse you for making screw ups of commission (such as this).

Mikey

Posted by: Mikey at January 13, 2006 03:53 PM

"Mikey",

"When did any paper suggest they'd never make a mistake..."

Irrelevant. The point is, mainstream journalism declares that it's "better" - and justifies in some minds a special legal status - because of their "accountability" and "checks" and "balances".

"Is it really something you gain vindication/gratification from"

Showing that the basis for journalism's claim to special status (the quasi-mystical devotion to being the "high priests of information" ) is as leaky as Howard Dean's cranium? Yes.

"The gatekeeper apparently failed, wow, go file a news story on that one..well, I guess you did, huh."

Dang skippy. The Strib should be embarassed; they set themselves up a superior to the alternative media specifically because of their supposed "accountability" and "checks and balances". This incident was journalism 101.

"BTW Mitch, occassionally dogs bite people."

But according to the Strib, the dog bit a judge. That's news.

" Your pissing and whining each and everytime Strib screws up of ommission [sic]"

Pissing and whining? I'm laughing and high-fiving my friends in the alt media.

Why, you're as bad at mind-reading as our old friend PB ever was!

"does not (via recognition they make mistakes) indemnify you/excuse you for making screw ups of commission (such as this)."

OK, Mikey; tell me where I made this a sin of commission. Now.

I say "now" on the off chance that you will recognize a challenge to your perception.

Posted by: mitch at January 13, 2006 06:39 PM

Wow, Mikey. How are you gonna reattach your ass now that it's been handed to you?

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